


Changes

by RebeccaOTool



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2017-12-11 19:02:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/802104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebeccaOTool/pseuds/RebeccaOTool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Egon's latest experiment has landed him in childhood. Unless the Ghostbusters act fast, he may be trapped there. NOT a rehash of Three Men and an Egon.</p><p>Edited from its original posting at The Pit for grammer, prose, and general coherence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

0o0o0o0o0

Ray sat quietly as Egon studied his brain scan. It's been a quiet week at the Firehouse and they were finally getting some long-awaited work done. 

"Nothing. Completely empty." Egon smiled. He was in an especially good mood after catching up on so much work.

"Ha ha. No effect?" Ray peered over the scientist's shoulder to get a look at the frozen image.

Egon shook his head. 

"You'd think after all these years we'd of figured out what this stuff does." Ray was disappointed, but this was hardly a surprise.

The two scientists stared futilely at the tiny sample ectoplasm, culled from the supply they'd collected over the years. The ghostly residue never changed, whether left in the oven, the fridge, the open air--even when ingested, Ray thought, remembering an unfortunate incident with the slime and some salad dressing. Here they'd tried to see what effect emotionally uncharged ectoplasm had on a human brain: apparently none.

It was the most infuriating mystery they'd ever encountered. Peter had given up on the stuff a long time ago. To him, it was merely an inconvenience. Ray supposed the nickname 'Slime Magnet' hadn't inspired much curiosity in the other Doctor.

"Well, another day." Egon began shelving the various equipment. He had other things he wanted to get done today.

Ray began to towel off the substance coating his clothing. "I'm gonna be in the shower for the next hour or so."

"Understood."

0o0o0o0o0

Ray was sprawled on the couch after his shower when voices reached him from the stairwell.

"Janine we've been over this a thousand times-"

"I don't want to hear it Egon." Janine Melnitz stalked up the steps. "It's already been established your precious experiments come before me."

"That's not fair Janine." Egon hurried after her. "I'm very close to finding out how prolonged exposure to ectoplasm effects common household fungi."

"Yes, I can see how that's more important than our anniversary!" Janine snapped. "When you're done playing with your mushrooms, look me up. I'll be the one in the dress."

"Fungi." Egon stated.

Janine glared at him, turned on her heels and stamped down the stairs. The door slamming could be heard throughout the firehouse.

"Smooth." Ray observed.

"She's emotional." Egon muttered. "Possibly PMS."

"The excuse of clueless men everywhere." Peter Venkman walked into the room from the kitchen, sandwich in hand.

Egon stiffened. "How much did you hear?"

"Well, I started listening at ectoplasm, and managed to catch 'insensitive Bastard' on the way out."

Egon sighed. "She just doesn't understand the importance of my work."

"Egon, maybe the fungi could wait a few days. You probably should apologize." Ray said. "It is your anniversary."

Be that as it may--"

"What's up with Janine? She nearly bit my head off when I asked her how she was." Winston entered from the stairs, toweling oil off his hands.

"Spengs is ditching her for 'shrooms." Peter nodded at Egon.

Egon turned slightly red. " _Fungi_."

Winston shook his head. "Sometimes I'm amazed you have a girlfriend at all Egon. Janine's over the moon about you, but she won't stay that way forever."

"I don't see how it any of your business." Egon snapped and left the room.

"Yeah, the emotional well being of my team is none of my business." Winston grunted and dropped onto the couch besides ray.

"She's gonna dump him if he doesn't pay more attention to her." Ray 

"For the brains of the operation he's pretty clueless sometimes." Peter agreed. "Then again, maybe those are some _special_ fungi."

Ray smiled briefly and Winston rolled his eyes. If _that _was Egon stoned, he'd hate to see the Doctor sober.__

__0o0o0o0_ _

__Egon sat quietly, various vials bubbling away all around him._ _

__'She just doesn't understand. With the results of this research, I may be able to cure some serious diseases, even prolong lifespan!'_ _

__He checked the readings on several tubes and ignored the guilty feeling in his stomach. He'd forgotten the anniversary. Not that that mattered. Not at all. He'd still have been to busy to go out. It wasn't like he could have rescheduled..._ _

__Really._ _

__"This oriental mushroom mix seems a bit temperamental. The stability reading has spiked by twenty percent." He spoke aloud to the recorder and moved to remove the mix from the burner._ _

__A glob of greenish liquid bubbled over the side. He pulled his hand back, trying to avoid a burn._ _

__"That's not-"_ _

__The vial exploded in a cloud of green. The ooze showered down on the scientist, hot and thick._ _

__"OW!" He felt the heat seeping into his skin. It cooled quickly, but there was still the possibility of third-degree burns. Egon removed his glasses and washed them, trying to get a look at the damage.._ _

__The goop had covered all his visible skin, and his clothes. It was cool now, and he didn't feel any pain. Lucky him._ _

__"Back to the drawing board." He prepared for the long task of removing the goo from his person. After that....bed. So much bed._ _

__0o0o0o0o0_ _

__Peter slowly opened his eyes in the dim morning light. He slid out of bed, noting that Egon was still in his. Usually Spengs was the first one up._ _

__'Well, after last night its hardly a wonder he's sleeping in.' He smiled to himself. Egon and Janine would work it out. They always did._ _

__Peter quietly moved past the lump of covers, on to his morning ablutions, and down the fire-pole to greet the day._ _

__"What's on the schedule today?" He asked as Janine handed him the worksheet._ _

__"Two class 3 non repeaters, a class 2 repeater, and a class 5 poltergeist." Janine said mechanically. Her eyes, somewhat puffier than usual, never left the stack of papers._ _

__"You alright Melnitz?"_ _

__"Never better." Janine kept her eyes low and swept from the room without saying another word._ _

__Peter clucked his tongue. "Oh what a tangled web we weave."_ _

__Ray and Winston sat quietly at the breakfast table, studying various papers._ _

__"Look at this Zedd. 'GB's review 'BeetelJuice'. Too True?'." Ray said through a mouthful of egg._ _

__"Mm." Winston nodded. "Very funny."_ _

__Peter sat down and snagged some toast._ _

__"Spengs still not up yet?" Winston._ _

__"Nope, and I'm not getting him. After his little 'accident' last night, he crashed." Peter said around a mouthful of jam. "Did you see him?"_ _

__"He was COVERED in ectoplasm." Winston chuckled at the memory. "Ray, you giving him those particular mushrooms isn't gonna make him too happy with you."_ _

__" 'Shrooms, Ray?" Peter cocked an eyebrow. "Is there something you'd like to share with the group?"_ _

__"I use them in omelets, okay? They stimulate freshness." Ray said uncomfortably. He wasn't into that scene, even in his college days, which Peter full-well knew._ _

__"So young. So tragic." Peter wiped a mock tear from his eye. "Fine, I'll get Egon."_ _

__He climbed back up the stairs to the bedroom, ready to tease his friend about his love-life, his experiments, and anything else he could think of._ _

__"Good morning star shine." Peter shook the lump under the covers. "Time to bust some ghosts."_ _

__"M'up." A voice rasped€._ _

__"Good, because we've got a class five on the menu, not to mention Janine is still pissed." Peter walked to the fire pole._ _

__The lump groaned. It pushed the covers aside._ _

__"Peter, I really don't want to hear about it."_ _

__Peter turned to fire a retort and gaped at the speaker._ _

__A small boy was sitting in Egon's bed. Light blond curls spilled into his eyes. He wiped them aside, yawned sleepily, and put on Egon's glasses._ _

__The boy swung his legs over the side of the bed. His eyes slowly traveled downwards, resting on his feet which didn't touch the floor. He shifted his gaze to his sleeves, which protruded far past his hands._ _

__"Peter." The boy said, obviously struggling not to panic. "Have I become smaller?"_ _

__Peter's mouth dried. "Who are you?"_ _

__The boy's eyes jumped to the scientist. "Peter, its _me_!"_ _

__"Who's me?" Peter asked, dreading the answer._ _

__"Egon Spengler!"_ _

__"You can't be Egon. Egon is old enough to be your father!" Peter's voice rose. This was beyond his admittedly loose standards of reason. "Who are you? _What_ are you?"_ _

__"I _am_ Egon Spengler!" The boy argued. "I'll prove it. Ask me anything."_ _

__"Mother's maiden name?"_ _

__"Neil!"_ _

__"Father's birthday?"_ _

__"August 22nd, 1929!"_ _

__Peter thought for a moment. A clever impostor could find out those things easily. There was one thing that could prove it..._ _

__"Childhood fear."_ _

__The boy stopped cold. "What?"_ _

__"What is Egon Spengler's childhood fear?"_ _

__"Peter, please." The boy paled._ _

__"What is it? If you're really Egon, you'll know."_ _

__The blue eyes slowly slid toward the closet._ _

__"Don't make me say it." He fidgeted uncomfortably._ _

__Peter felt the blood drain from his face. "Oh God. Egon."_ _

__Egon got out of the bed, an awkward at his size. "What happened to me?"_ _

__"You look like you're six years old." Peter said slowly, not wanting to panic him further._ _

__"What?" The large blue eyes grew bigger at this._ _

__"You're a little kid." Peter blurted. How could you put that gently?_ _

__Egon tried to run to the hall mirror, but didn't account for his now oversized pajamas. He slipped and fell hard onto the wood floor. "Owww!"_ _

__"Jeeze Spengs, are you alright?" Peter hurried to his side, trying to ignore the weirdness._ _

__"Perhaps a minor abrasion..." He rolled the pant leg above his knee. Blood oozed from a large scrape. His eyes watered slightly at the sight._ _

__"C'mon Egon, lets get you some band aids." Peter scooped the small scientist into his arms and carried him into the bathroom._ _

__"Peter, no, I'm okay, really..." Egon shook his head futilely as Peter set him down._ _

__"You're in tears!"_ _

__"Well, it _hurts_!"_ _

__Peter grabbed the first-aid kit. "It's cool Egon, I'll have you fixed up in a second."_ _

__"I can do it myself." Egon grimaced as Peter poured peroxide on the cut._ _

__"I know you can, this is just quicker."_ _

__Egon sat scrubbing the tears from his eyes as Peter finished doctoring the wound._ _

__"Better?"_ _

__"Yes, thank you." Egon kept his eyes down._ _

__Peter glanced out the door. "Ray and Winston be up soon to see what's happened...What do we tell them?"_ _

__"Tell them I'm _me_."_ _

__"No, I meant _how_ did this happen?"_ _

__Egon thought for a moment. "It must have been the mushroom explosion. The mushroom's Ray gave me are supposed to help increase life expectancy if eaten on a regular basis, according to legend."_ _

__"That doesn't explain why you've been mini-sized." Peter replied._ _

__"Maybe the ectoplasm mutated the effect, resulting in..." Egon stared at himself in the mirror above the sink. "This."_ _

__Peter nodded. "It's a possibility."_ _

__Egon's eyes leaped to Peter's. "You can't tell Janine."_ _

__"What? Egon, when she sees you she's going to figure it out!"_ _

__"She's not going to see me."_ _

__"Egon-"_ _

__"Damnit, I'm not going to have Janine see me in this state!"_ _

__"Alright Egon, take it easy."_ _

__Egon took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I _can't _see her like this. I...I just can't."___ _

____Peter nodded. "Okay Spengs. We'll figure this out."_ _ _ _

____He wished he felt half as sure as he sounded._ _ _ _

____0o0o0o0o0_ _ _ _

____To be continued..._ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

Ray and Winston stared at Egon as he finished his explanation, eyes wide. It was hard to believe the little boy in front of them could spout off such huge words. 'Genetic Restructuring.' 'Unforeseen implications.' 

"So...are you stuck like that?" Winston choked out when he was finished.

"I don't know. I think I can make an antidote." Egon said.

"And you're planning on hiding from Janine the entire time you're stuck like this." Ray shot a wary glance at Peter. That would go over with the secretary about as well as a trap full of unprocessed class twos.

"It would only worry her needlessly if she knew. Either I'm stuck this way or I'm not, so there's no sense making a fuss." Egon tried to keep his voice level.

"Egon, I'm all for staying calm, but this is nuts!" Winston argued. "She's going to know something is wrong when you don't go on today's busts."

"I guess it would be inadvisable to work in this state. I don't think I could lift a proton pack, much less fire accurately." He hadn't considered this before. Not that Winston blamed him.

"It'll just give you time to work out an antidote." Peter forced cheer into his voice.

Egon nodded. "If I repeat the experiment, I think I can synthesize one."

"Okay, I'll tell Janine you're sick or something...she ever had chicken pox?" Peter asked slyly.

"I believe not."

"Alright, we're in business." Peter stood. "You sure you can handle things here by yourself, little guy?"

"Peter, I've been using equipment similar to this since I could focus my eyes. I could do it in my sleep." Egon ignored the crack. It just meant Peter was worried.

"Okay Mr. Know-it-all, we'll just be on our way. C'mon guys." Peter kept the grin welded to his face. He wasn't going to freak Egon further by showing how worried he really was. 

Egon watched them go, heart heavy. Peter put on a marvelous performance, but it fooled nobody. It was time to get to work.

0o0o0o0o0

"Chicken pox? Where in the world did he pick that up?"

"Well, the kid at this last job was spotty...I just thought he had bad acne." Peter nonchalantly checked his equipment as the others loaded up the Ectomobile.

"Uh-huh." Janine said skeptically.

"So, you'd just better stay down here. We need you more than him at the moment anyway." Peter winked.

"Dr. V, just go." Janine rolled her eyes.

"Hey, remember who signs your checks Melnitz."

"That would be Ray."

"Um...yeah. See you tonight."

'Serves Egon right. I should just leave him up there in itchy misery.' She smiled for a moment, considering this. Sometimes, God had a wicked sense of humor.

0o0o0o0o0

Egon clicked on the tape recorder. He'd struggled to reach all the necessary equipment, but soon had the components in his grasp. 

His tiny grasp.

"Initial suspicions regarding Ectoplasm sample have proved correct. When applied to a fern, said plant was reduced to a seedling in approximately 2 hours. I am now taking samples from control plant and test plant to determine what chemical change has taken place." He recorded his observations, ignoring how small and high his voice was. It'd be back to normal soon enough. No doubts. None.

He swallowed and steadied his hands as he reached for the plant. He was shaking.

"Now lets just see if this fountain of youth doesn't have a leak..."

-

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Janine dutifully carried Egon's lunch up the stairs. She still loved the jerk, and he hadn't been down all day. He had to be hungry by now, even if he was too engrossed in his work to come downstairs.

She approached the lab door, annoyed with him for making her do this, annoyed with herself for letting him make her feel this way. "Egon? I brought you some soup."

There was a small yelp and a crash from inside the lab.

"Egon, are you okay?" She reached for the knob with her free hand.

"Leave it. You'll get sick." A hoarse voice growled from inside.

"You sound terrible." She let go of the knob. 

"I'm fine." 

"You sure? We've got some cough syrup in the-"

"Janine, please, _go_!"

"I'm _going_. Just don't expect to see me again any time soon." She stalked down the stairs, heat building behind her eyes. She had some serious thinking to do.

0o0o0o0o0

Egon slid a small mirror under the door and peered at it. Janine was gone. He opened the door to retrieve the soup, guilt building.

'I'll explain this all when I've administered an antidote. Knowing would only worry her unduly, and that's much worse than having her angry at me.

'Then again, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...'

Egon gulped and retreated into the sanctity of the lab.

0o0o0o0o0

Peter slid into the Ectomobile's driver seat wiping off the last of the slime from their bust.

"Nothing like a hard day's work." Ray said cheerfully, slipping in besides him.

"Yeah Ray, I hope there's nothing like it again." Peter groaned. "A class five! We really could have used Egon."

Winston climbed into the back. "Well, hopefully by now he's found a cure."

"Amen to that Zedd." Peter eased the car onto the road. "Lets get home and see how the boy wonder is doing."

0o0o0o0o0

Egon glared at the green test tube, frustrated. He'd tried a number of things on the test seedling, most of them merely causing the plan to shed leaves. 

He clicked on the recorder. "No success in counteracting the anti-ageing formula. All tests negative, some causing harm to test subject."

He sighed as the tape wound down. "And I'm out of ideas."

0o0o0o0o0

"Any calls Melnitz?" Peter approached the secretary as the others unloaded the ghosts and equipment.

"No!" Janine glared at him.

"Ooookay, that's all I wanted thanks." Peter backed away, trying to avoid her glare. She scowled at him for a few moments more before returning to the paperwork.

"She's still mad at Egon?" Ray asked as the three headed upstairs.

"Madder, if that's possible ." Peter shook his head. "If looks could kill, I'd be toast."

Winston smirked. "I told Egon to watch out for redheads."

"Hey!" Ray protested as they reached the lab.

"Egon, we're back." Winston knocked gently at the door, and the three held their breath. Good news?

"Come in." A decidedly childish voice called.

The three men shared a look of dejection.

"Guess he's still working on it." Peter pushed the door open. "Its a good thing we picked up some clothes for him."

Egon glanced up at them from a set of glowingtubes. "How did it go?"

"Fine." Peter set the bag down. "We picked up some stuff for you. Made any progress?"

"I've isolated the chemical that caused my mutation. I've named it 'Leonium'."

"After the Spanish explorer who went looking for the fountain of youth?" Ray asked.

"The very same." Egon climbed onto a stool and retrieved a test tube. "This is it."

"So, if that's what made you little how can we reverse it?" Peter asked.

"I'm not sure it can be reversed." Egon said quietly.

Peter rocked back on his heels as if slapped. "What?"

"I initially thought this change was a true regression back to youth, but its not." Egon began, "The plants I've tested retain their age and inherent issues: they're just smaller and more youthful in appearance. That's why my mind hasn't been effected. My organs, while smaller, still retain all their wear and tear. The same goes for my skeletal structure. The bone bruise I sustained during work last week is still there. Only the outer cosmetics have changed."

The four sat quietly for a few minutes.

"Will you have to grow up again?" Winston finally broke the silence.

"There's nothing to grow up _to_." Egon said quietly. "I'm afraid I'm stuck this way."

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

Changes, Chapter Four

0o0o0o0o0

"You're telling me you’re going to spend the rest of your life in the body of a six year old?" Peter tried saying it aloud, hoping he’d misunderstood.

"Peter, it’s still the body of a middle-aged man, I just look like a child. It’s much like plastic surgery." Egon clarified. 

"Oh, thank you very much Spengs, for clearing that up." Peter snapped.

"Give him a break." Ray’s voice was quiet. He didn’t deal with bad news like Peter, and this was about as bad as it could get.

"We'll figure something out." Winston placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder.

"He’s right. We need to get you back to normal. You can't spend the rest of your life like this!" Peter said.

"You think I haven’t tried everything I could think of?” Egon’s shoulders were slumped.

"Maybe there's something in Tobin's about ageing. There may be a ritual, or a rite..." Ray trailed off.

"I doubt it. There's been very few cases in history where someone has wanted to make themselves look older and restored to magic." Egon said. 

"Well, maybe I can find something like this" Ray argued. “This can’t be the first case of youth gone awry.”

"For the last time, it's not true youth, I just look young. My physical age is still forty two. My lifespan will only last another thirty five years or so. I will just look like this for that span of time." Egon was getting sick of explaining.

"Like hell you will." Peter growled. "We're going to find a way to reverse this."

"Peter-"

"There's got to be some kind of anti-mutogen we can use." Peter 

Egon stopped cold. "An anti-mutagen…I hadn’t been thinking of this as a mutation, per say. Maybe."

"Could something like that work?" Winston asked.

"It's possible...but I'd need more ectoplasm. Fresh ectoplasm." Egon's eyes lit up. "But that shouldn't be a problem."

"We could just tie Peter to a stake and let the ghosts come to us." Winston grinned.

"Not funny Zedd." 

"We could combine new ectoplasm with anti-mutagenic partials. It's just like the Johannesburg experiment of 1942! Of course, Johannesburg used snails, but the principal is sound. It'll take some time..." Ray went into science-babble.

"It could be done." Egon said. "In theory, it could work."

Peter grinned. Of course there was an answer. There had to be. "In that case, let’s call it a night. We've all had a big day, and I think that mutated body of yours could use some sleep."

"I'm not tired." Egon stifled a yawn.

"Uh-huh." Peter raised an eyebrow. "You need to be fully rested. The last thing we need is a miscalculation, and you end up de-volving into a monkey."

Egon opened his mouth to argue about how inaccurate that statement was, but all that came out was another yawn.

"Besides." Peter led him towards the bedroom. "You need to think up a good apology for Janine, and that's gonna require mucho brainpower."

"Fine." Egon flopped into bed, too exhausted to argue. "That last one I agree with."

0o0o0o0o0

_Egon sat quietly as his parents explained to him-yet again-that the existence of the Boogyman was a logical anomaly._

_"We wouldn't lie to you about this sweetheart. You're scaring yourself over nothing." His mother chided gently._

_"So we can expect you to stop this foolishness Egon?"_

_"Yes father." Six year old Egon Spengler answered dutifully as he had so many night before._

_"Good boy." His father nodded stiffly and left the room._

_His mother winked at him as she flicked on his nightlight. "Our little secret."_

_"Thank you Mother."_

_She smiled and shut the door._

_Egon's eyes flicked to the closet door. It was firmly shut and locked._

_'It can't get out. There's nothing in there to come out.'_

_The doorknob swiveled._

_"It’s my imagination." Egon whispered desperately, "It's just my-"_

_"Eeeeegon..." A voice called from the closet. "Unlock the door Egon."_

_Egon whimpered and pulled the covers over his head._

_"If you don't let me out it will make me angry Egon. Do you want me to be angry?"_

_"You're just a figment of my imagination." Egon said from beneath the blanket._

_"Is that so?"_

_The lock clicked. Hinges creaked._

_"Let’s find out."_

_Slow footsteps started toward the bed._

_"Egon."_

_THUD._

_"You should have let me out."_

_THUD._

_Egon whimpered, tears streaming across his face. It wasn’t his imagination. His parents were wrong. He knew that, why did he always doubt when there was light?_

_“You tried to capture me twice now Egon."_

_THUD._

_"It's time you paid."_

_'Capture?' Egon's mind raced, his memories speeding back of a life well beyond six years old. 'I'm not supposed to be here. This is wrong. It’s a dream.'_

_The blankets were pulled off. The Boogyman stood over him, grinning toothily._

_"This is all a dream." Egon said haughtily._

_"Is that so?"_

_"Yes. You're safely stowed in the containment unit." The knowledge flowed over him like a security blanket. He was safe. He was--_

_The Boogyman grabbed the shrunken Ghostbuster by his PJ collar and lifted him into the air._

_"Still sure?" The creature shook him, and all the logic and memory in the world couldn’t stifle the screams._

0o0o0o0o0

"Egon, wake up!" Peter gently shook the Ghostbuster’s shoulders. He was crying out and thrashing. “Egon!”

Egon moaned, unable to come out of the nightmare.

Peter glanced around and spotted a glass of water on the nightstand. He grabbed it and poured the contents onto Egon's face. Inelegant, but effective.

His eyes sprung open as he sputtered. "P-Peter? Where is he?"

"Who?"

Egon's mouth opened, then shut abruptly. His eyes leapt to the closet door, which was closed.

"Egon, you were having a nightmare. You're safe."

"Not a nightmare. A memory." Tears were trickling down his already wet face.

Peter wordlessly wrapped him in a hug. He knew what Egon had dreamed about. It was written on his small face. "It's alright Spengs."

Breaths hitched in the boy's chest. "I'm s-sorry P-Peter. I didn't mean to wake you..."

"Hey, no, it’s okay." Peter told him. "You've had a traumatic experience, it’s only natural you'd have nightmares. Believe me, I know."

Egon hiccuped miserably, but let Peter hold him.

"You gonna be okay Spengs?" Peter asked after his breathing settled.

Egon wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I think so."

"Alrighty then. You'd better change your shirt, I soaked you pretty good."

Egon nodded and slipped from the bed to retrieve a dry shirt.

"He's locked in the containment unit Egon. He can't get you." Peter didn’t want to talk about this.

"I know." Egon said as he slipped a new shirt over his head.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." 

Egon climbed back into bed. "I know that as well."

"Tomorrow we'll get the new Ectoplasm, and then this will all be over."

"In theory." Egon said quietly.

"We're going to fix this, damnit."

Egon snuggled wordlessly under the covers. Peter watched him until he fell asleep.

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Egon watched sunlight trickle across the floor of the communal bedroom, legs dangling over the edge of his bed. Downstairs, Ray, Peter, and Winston were going to to bust ghosts and collect the much-needed ectoplasm. 

"I don't see why he's not going out on calls. Most people have had chicken pox." Janine's voice was cold. 

"Hey, the last thing we need is for Egon to collapse on a bust. He's got plenty to do in the lab." Peter'S voice rose. It was the signal that Janine was nowhere near the staircase; Egon slipped through the door and dashed down the hallway into the lab. He'd explain this to her once the others came back with the ectoplasm. It was better that Janine was angry with him and not sad or frightened by the predicament. 

It _was_.

The seedling was on the table, looking as fresh and green as before. Egon snipped a small leaf off, for future study. 

He didn't notice the fresh sap seeping from the cut. 

It probably wouldn't have mattered, even if he had: Egon was no botanist.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Ray scraped the last of the ectoplasm off Peter's uniform. "That should be enough!"

"You have no idea how happy that makes me, Ray." Peter deadpanned. A thin coating of slime covered his skin. "Egon better appreciate this."

"Think of it this way: that stuff's gotta be good for your skin." Winston grinned. "People'd pay good money for that at a spa."

"There's an idea: ghost massages." Peter mused. "Remind me to have Janine see if that idea's been copyrighted. Might make a good movie."

"Maybe we should head back now." Ray got into the Ectomobile. They had a few more cases, but he didn't want Egon to wait any longer than needed.

"Good idea. We can--"

Peter was cut off by a wail. Behind them, a female shape came through the wall, claws reaching for the men.

"I thought this was just a class three repeater!" Winston blasted the specter. It spun, spraying the walls with goo.

"I thought it was!" Ray scrambled out of the car. 

Peter bit back a retort and tried to focus his beam on the ghoul; Egon would have to wait a little longer.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Egon flicked aimlessly through his copy of Tobin's Spirit Guide, seeing nothing. The guys were supposed to be back hours ago. He was getting hungry, but the risk of Janine wasn't worth it.

His stomach growled, refuting the notion.

'Maybe I should just tell her.' Egon looked at the fern. It wavered in the draft from the open window. Maybe she wouldn't cry. Maybe she'd just be relieved he'd figured out a cure.

Maybe she'd forget about the missed anniversary.

His stomach rumbled again. Hunger won out over long-suffering reason. He slid down the fire pole, the sleeves of his labcoat pushed back past his elbows. The ride down seemed longer than normal. His stomach fluttered, not unpleasantly. He landed, unhurt, and made his way towards the fridge.

Day-old pizza and Tang greeted him. It wasn't health food, but it would do.

He shrugged and grabbed both.

"Egon, is that you?"

He froze. Janine was coming down the hall towards him. "Uh..." 

Now or never. Fight or flight. Let her see what had happened, or try and hide himself like some badly-written science-fiction show.

"The hell with it." He stood still. "I'm here."

Janine came into view, stopping cold. A little blond boy stood before her. He was wearing Egon's glasses and lab coat, which were far to big for him, along with a white shirt, jean shorts, and cheap sandals. 

He stared up at her, apologetic. "I didn't want to scare you."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Um...who are you?"

His heart sank. "It's me. Egon."

Janine's jaw clenched. "Sure. Of course it is."

She was still angry. At least she wasn't worried. "I can explain-"

"You bet you're going to explain! You're going to explain who you are and what you've done with Egon."

He blinked, confused. "Janine, its _me_."

"Yeah, nice try. Who sent you? Poso? Those goons from the alternative universe?" She demanded.

"I know things look strange, but if you'd just listen-"

"The only person who's gonna listen is you when Dr. V gets here." Janine moved towards him, grabbing a small thrower-shaped object from her hip: A girl need protection after who-knew-how-many loose ghosts in the firehouse. Whatever this thing was, a blast would stop it in it's tracks.

"What are you doing?" Egon took a nervous step back. The potential effects of the mutation combined with a blast from the mini-proton pack were catastrophic.

"Stand still." Janine growled.

Egon backed away from her, towards the front doors. "You're not being rational. If you'd think about this for a moment, you'll see that I'm me."

"Stop talking like him. You're probably not even human." Janine took aim. "Now, tell me where Egon really is!"

" _I'm_ Egon!" The wail came out, more panicked than he'd intended. "Janine--"

A bolt of light flew past his face. He turned to the open door and fled.

0o0o0o0o0o

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Egon panted for breath as Janine chased him out of the firehouse. She had longer legs, but he was small, and easy to lose in a crowd. He managed to ditch her near central park.

Egon leaned against a slender tree, panting for breath. That had gone much, _much_ worse than anticipated. How had he not planned for the possibility of her not recognizing him? Somehow that was worse than her being either angry or sad.

'I'm alone in New York in the body of a six year old child.' 

An overwhelming urge to cry came over the Doctor.

'No!' He shook himself. 'You're an adult! Its time to start acting like one! This over-emotional state is just a side effect of the mutation. Once I'm back to normal, this will stop.'

He took a deep breath. Now was the time to plan his next move. He was near central park. It'd be safest to wait there, near a group of children. If he waited a few hours the others would get back, explain the situation to Janine, and he could go back to the Firehouse.

Mind made up, he walked into the park

0o0o0o0o0o

"Dr. V, you've gotta bet back here right away. Egon's gone!" 

Peter winced. Janine's screams wern't muted by the radio at all. "What?!"

"And that's not all. Some little imp or something pretending to be a mini-Egon just escaped into the city." Her voice dropped. "I think Poso may be after you again. He might already have Egon!"

Peter's heart sank. "Janine, that _was_ Egon."

There was silence from the other end of the line.

"An experiment...he was...we're working on the cure." Peter fumbled for words. "Where did you last see him? What happened?"

"What are you talking about?" She sounded bewildered. Peter couldn't blame her. He motioned for Ray and Winston to get into the car: They did, trading worried looks.

"That's why he's been hiding in the lab. He didn't want you to worry." Peter thew the Ectomobile into gear. "He--"

"I lost him near the park. I'll see you there." The radio clicked off.

Peter swung the car into the street, nearly hitting a cab.

"Peter, getting us all killed because you're speeding isn't going to help find Egon." Ray said as calmly as possible.

Peter ignored the younger man and proceed to blaze through a red light.

"Ray's right Peter." Winston wouldn't let his death-grip on the seat go. "Calm down. We'll find him."

"Egon is lost and you want me to be calm!" Peter swerved. "I'll be calm _when_ we find him!"

"He'll be fine. He knows this city. He'll probably be back at the firehouse by the time we get there." Ray tried to stay upbeat. Peter didn't need to hear him scared as well.

"Not with Janine on the rampage, he won't." Peter said grimly. "We've gotta find him. I promised him I wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"He's gonna be fine, Pete." Winston said through clenched teeth. "Just slow down. You can't help him if we're in the hospital. Or the morgue."

Peter eased on the gas pedal, just a tad. "Alright. You're probably right." 

Egon _was_ probably fine. He was an adult, whatever he looked like. He was smart, and he would be fine.

He had to keep thinking that.

0o0o0o0o0

Egon tried to look as nonchalant as possible while approaching a playground in the park. Blending in with the other children would be vital to mask the fact that he was alone. New York wasn't a deathtrap, but the fewer people who noticed a six year old by himself in Central Park, the better.

He sat in a swing, watching the other children. Three of them were arguing about something.

One of the arguing girls broke off and approached him. "Wanna be a Ghostbuster?"

"What?" Egon's voice jumped.

"We need a fourth to play Ghostbusters." The girl sounded exasperated. "We only have _three_."

"Um...alright." Egon stood up and followed back to the group. This would prove interesting...

"Here's your proton beam." She handed him a stick. "My name is Kayla. This is Bernice, and Sammy. What's you're name?"

"E-Eric." Egon stammered. 'Egon' wasn't the commonest name. Better not arouse suspicion.

"Okay. There's a bad ghost in this hotel, and its our job to bust 'im!" Kayla grinned. "Eric, you and Bernice take the stairs-" She pointed to the jungle gym. "And Sammy and I will take the top floor."

She and Sammy ran for the slide, apparently the 'top floor'.

"C'mon Eric!" Bernice began to climb. Egon followed, stick at his side. 

"What do we do when we see a ghost?" He asked. This _was_ very interesting; a first-hand look at how their practices were perceived by the children of the City. It could be very useful information to have on future busts, or even for marketing purposes. 

"We hit it with out proton beams, like this." Bernice whacked a bar. "Haven't you played Ghostbusters before?"

"...Kind of." Egon smiled.

"There it is!" Bernice yelled and jumped to the ground, pointing to an invisible ghost. "Lets go!"

Egon jumped after her. She ran in a zig-zag, swinging her stick and yelling. This was very random. 

"Kayla, its the marshmallow guy!" Bernice swung her stick at pure air. Egon opened his mouth to tell them it was impossible for Gozer to enter a hotel while in that form, but thought better of it.

"I'm comin'!" Kayla and Sammy ran to her. Egon swiped half-heatedly at the empty patch of air, eyes on the kids.

"We've gotta cross the streams!" Sammy yelled.

The three crossed their sticks.

"Eric, c'mon! Its the only way to beat the ghost." Kayla whispered.

"Oh...Okay." Egon touched his 'beam' to the others.

"Argh, ack, oh no, ooh..." They fell onto the ground. Egon sat, hoping they didn't see his hesitation.

"We did it." Kayla stood up, wiping 'marshmallow' from herself. "New York is safe again, thanks to the Ghostbusters!"

"Yay! Ghostbusters!" The others ran in loops, whooping. 

After a moment, Egon joined them.

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

"Janine, please!" Ray tried to talk sense into the frantic woman. "We need someone to stay here in case Egon comes back."

"One of you can stay!" Janine buttoned her jacket. "I've gotta find him."

"We'll find him." Ray put a hand on her shoulder. "Peter and Winston have already gone, and I'm supposed to search the north side of the park. You have to stay here."

Janine bit her lip. "I chased him away. I should be out there looking for him."

"You didn't know." Ray said. She met his eyes, the panic still in full force. "We'll find him, Janine. He's going to be okay. I promise."

Janine sat heavily on her desk. "Alright. I'll stay here."

"Thank you." Ray hugged her. "It's going to be okay."

Janine hugged back, a minute shake in her limbs. "Just find him."

\---------

"Bye Eric! See you later!" Sammy waved as his mother pulled him towards home. The games had lasted some time.

"Bye Sammy!" Egon waved. He wished he'd brought a watch: the sun was beginning to set. He'd lost track of time while interacting with the children.

It had been...fun.

"Egon!" 

Egon spun on his heels (very inadvisable in flip-flops). Ray ran over the grassy hillocks, grinning in relief. 

"Ray, I--" He lost the rest of the sentence as Ray caught him in a fierce hug. 

"Are you alright?" Ray demanded.

"Yes." Egon gaped for air. "Aside from being able to breath."

Ray released him. "We've been worried sick. Gosh, we'd better call everyone and let them know you're alright right away."

"Of course I'm alright. Why shouldn't I be?" 

"Well, for one thing, you have the body of a six year old, and you were all alone." They walked towards the edge of the play area. Ray's heart was still hammering. Of course Egon had been okay. He wasn't _really_ a little boy. 

"Oh...Right." Egon frowned. He hadn't thought about his predicament during the last couple of hours. "Is Janine okay?"

"No, she feels awful. I practically had to tie her to the desk to keep her from looking for you." 

"She's not mad at me?" A ray of hope.

"Nope, she just upset she chased you halfway to Jersey." Ray chuckled as they approached a main street. "Now, when you're back to normal and she's over the shock, she might still be ticked."

"Duly noted." Egon replied as they got to a busy street.

Ray felt something tug at his sleeve. 

Egon was holding his hand.

Ray opened his mouth to say something, but shrugged it off as they crossed. Egon was just trying to blend in. The last thing they needed was the wrong person noticing a ghostbuster was suddenly a little boy...

\---------------------

Hooded eyes watched the pair.

"See that? He's right there. Still in his jumpsuit."

"Yeah, I see 'im...What are we supposed to do about it?"

"Wait until they're on one of the back streets. Then we grab the kid."

"Are you sure it's _his_ kid?"

"It's Venkman's alright. He and the chick split up, but she had a kid. He'd be that age by now."

A sad, sad mistake.

"I still don't like it." The second man grunted.

"You don't need to like it, you just need to do it! Damnit Joey, you don't do this and the boss'll have your head on a plate."

"Yeah, I got it." Joey muttered.

"Its a good thing Barry saw the kid come outta the firehouse, or we'd never have this little opportunity."

"Lucky us." Joey said half-halfheartedly. He didn't like working with kids.

\-----------------------------

The excitement of the last few hours died away. Egon's stomach churned. The lack of food wasn't good for his reduced digestion.

"I feel ill." He said as they entered a back ally near the firehouse.

"What do you mean?" Ray stiffened. Some residual effect of the mutation?

"Just a stomach ache." Egon placed his free hand on his stomach. "I didn't eat today."

"All the more reason to get home as quickly as we can." Relief spread over him. Something that could be solved with a hot dog. That's the kind of problem Ray welcomed.

"You're right." Egon nodded. "Let's just-"

A motorcycle pealed down the alley, head on.

"Lookout!" Ray shoved Egon to one side. Egon clattered into a pair of empty garbage cans. 

The bike slowed.

"Ray-"

"Just stay there!" Ray was on the other side of the alley.

The bike screeched to a stop between the two. The man was leather-clad, with a helmet over his face. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a large black gun. He aimed it at Ray.

"The kid gets on or you both get wasted." A guttural voice growled.

"Take it easy fella." Ray had his hands up. "Do whatever you want to me, but leave the kid out of this."

"Ray, no!" Egon took a step towards the other Ghostbuster, heart racing. He had to do something, he had to--

The man grabbed Egon with his free hand, tucking him under one arm. Then, he was speeding down the alley.

"NO!" Ray raced after them. "Egon!"

Egon twisted, but the man's bulk easily outmatched his own. Within a few seconds they had lost Ray, were out of the alley, and around a corner. "Let me go!"

The man ignored him, pulling alongside a large black car. The back door opened and he was tossed inside. Another man sat in the driver's seat.

Egon bolted for the door, but the motorcycle rider was in the way. He slapped Egon onto the leather seat. The boy cried out, more in shock than pain.

Then they were moving.

"Get him ready, before he tries something!" The driver ordered.

Motorcycle-man pulled a roll of silver duct tape from under a seat. Egon scuttled to the far wall of the car. There was no escape. His wrists were taped together, his ankles similarly bound. A strip was placed over his mouth, though he'd quit screaming.

"Put the bag on his head, he doesn't need to know where we're going." The driver ordered.

Egon's world went black.

\-------

To be continued...

\--------


	8. Chapter 8

Peter paced the firehouse. "There's supposed to be a call. What haven't they called with their demands?!"

“Peter, you have to try and stay calm. It’s no good panicking.” Winston clamped down on his nerves. One of them freaking out was all he could take.

Ray sat on the couch, head down. “It’s my fault. I should never have--”

“Never have what, Ray? You did everything you could.” Winston cut him off. 

Ray shook his head, but didn’t argue. Peter paced, eyes locked on the floor.

"We are going to stay calm. If we don't, we're not going to be able to help Egon." It’d been a long time since he’d given a ‘buck-up guys’ speech. It wasn’t helping, but he had to do something.

It’d been two hours since Egon had been snatched, and they’d found no answers. Ray saw the car speed off, but he’d had no hope of catching it. By the time he’d called (screamed, Winston remembered, wincing) for help, it was far too late.

Peter braced his hands on the window ledge, staring into the neon lights outside. “Do you think they know he’s Egon, or just think he’s related to one of us?”

Winston had no reply.

Ray turned to them. “Maybe we should check on Janine.”

“She said she wanted to be alone.” Peter’s voice was low. “We’re here when she’s ready.”

“I’m givin’ it fifteen more minutes before I go and get her.” Winston said. “We need to try and figure out who might have him. Four heads are better than three.”

“Who might have him? Take your pick.” Peter snapped. “Aside from everything that hates us in the afterlife there’s human mobs, kidnappers, thugs, and general creeps!”

He slammed his fists on the ledge. “Anything could have him, AND WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!”

Winston took a deep breath. “Okay. That’s your designated freak-out for this crisis. I need you to have it and get back to thinking, Pete. Or what little chance we do have of getting Egon back alive is gone.”

Peter clenched his fists, but didn’t reply.

\-----------------------------------

Egon squinted. No good. The sack over his face was totally black. So much for figuring out anything about his surroundings.

He’d been awake the whole time, but he’d learned nothing. There were two men in the large room (it sounded echo-y), but they were speaking very quietly. He tested his bonds. No good. His limbs were too weak to break the duct-tape.

‘They’re looking for ransom.’ He tried to comfort himself. ‘If they haven’t killed me yet, they’re not going to.’

Or do something worse.

"Time to make the call." 

Egon jerked; the voice was loud and close. A small moan escaped his lips, still stuck together with tape. A hand clamped on his shoulder, and the moan turned into a scream.

“Save it kid. We’re callin’ your Dad.” Another voice spoke up, fingers digging into his small shoulder. Egon stifled a whimper. That really hurt.

“Dr. Venkman?” The first voice spoke up. “Never mind who this is. That’s not how this works.”

‘Peter?’ Egon’s heart raced. This was where they’d make their demands and then put him on the phone to prove he was alive, and--

And then what? They’d take their ransom and dump him somewhere? Kill him? Or--

 _No_. He wouldn’t allow his mind down that path. Peter would rescue him. That was all. He’d been in worse danger than this. These men were just that; men. Not ghosts or demons or elder gods bent on world destruction. Just men.

Of course, he’d been a man during those fights. Not a child. 

The darkness lifted. Egon squinted, but the artificial light was bright. He couldn’t see anyone’s face.

They were hiding their identities. They were going to keep him alive.

For now.

Someone ripped the tape from his lips. “OUCH!”

“Cry me a river, kid.” One man held the phone to his face. "Talk."

"Spengs?" Peter's voice wavered. "Are you okay?"

There was so much to say. He didn’t know where he was. The kidnappers didn’t know who he was. He was alone, in pain, terrified, helpless, useless--

Egon's nerve broke.

"I want to go home!" He wailed. Something crashed in his brain, overpowering the last of his willpower. Adult or child, he couldn’t handle this.

“It’s okay." Peter's voice cracked. "You'll be home soon, I promise. I’m not going to let--"

The phone was taken away. “No! Please, I--”

“Fer Chrissakes, shut him up!” The first man growled. 

A large hand clamped over his mouth, cutting off his pleas. 

"See? He's alive. And if you want him to stay that way, I’ll need a few things, Dr. Venkman.” The voice faded and a door slammed. Whatever he wanted from Peter, he wanted to talk about it in private.

There was nothing Egon wanted more at that moment than to hear Peter’s voice again. He twisted, trying to free himself from the tape, the chair, his captor’s grip.

“Cut it out.” The man bore down, and the small jawbone cracked alarmingly. 

Egon shrieked, but stopped moving. The hand let go. He expected the tape to return, but to his surprise, there was nothing but the second man shuffling away. If he stayed quiet, maybe they’d leave him this small freedom.

Tears slid down his face. Egon took a shuddery breath. What was happening to him? Was this just a fear induced breakdown? He didn’t feel right. His stomach was still upset and his mind was alarmingly disorganized. Something was wrong with him.

Something he couldn’t begin to focus on. Not here. 

The murmurs behind the door continued. Egon cried quietly. Best not to risk angering his captors again.

He could still control that much.

For now.

\---------------

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

"What do they want?" Janine pounced as Peter hung up the phone. Winston had coaxed her back into the firehouse lobby just before the call had come in. Peter ignored her puffy eyes, but managed to scare up a ghost of a smirk. Anything to make her feel normal.

If they’d convinced Egon to be straight with her--

No. Better to concentrate on the task at hand.

He shook his head. "They want a proton pack!" 

“What?” Three voices rose, shocked.

"We're supposed to meet them in Central park at midnight with a proton pack." Peter leaned on the desk. “They can get money from anybody; nuclear reactors aren’t hanging out in Rockafeller’s vault.”

"What would a bunch of criminals want with a proton pack?" Winston asked.

"Probably planning on holding up Fort Knox." Ray said.

‘Probably planning on killing someone and getting rid of the body for good.’ Peter clamped down on this thought; Ray didn’t need to hear it. "It doesn't matter. We're giving it to them.”

“Peter, you can’t. A nuclear reactor in the hands of some street thugs?” Winston raised one hand. “We’ll get Egon back, but--”

“But what?!” Peter’s eyes were murderous. 

“But maybe we should put a tracker on it.” Winston tried to be gentle. They needed Egon back, and they’d do what they had to. But they didn’t have to be stupid.

Peter’s expression softened. “Yeah. Okay. Ray, is there anything you have…?”

Ray nodded. “We put trackers in them a long time ago. It’ll only work over a few mile radius, but that’s better than nothing.”

“Good enough. I’m going to get going.” Peter stood up. 

"One of us should go with you" Janine said. She was pale.

“They said to come alone.” Peter replied. “No cops, no backup, you know the drill. If they see anyone but me leave the firehouse--”

He choked back the last few words. The last of the blood left Janine’s face.

Ray swallowed hard. "I'm going to see about the antidote Egon was making. Maybe I can finish it so we can administer it when he's home."

Peter nodded. “Good thinking. Winston, can you help him?”

Winston snorted. “About as much as a first grader can help with AP algebra homework.”

“Zedd--”

“It’s fine, Pete. There’s not much I can do right now.” He managed a bitter smile. “Just gotta deal with it. Maybe Janine and I can get a couple things done.”

Janine turned away. “Yeah. Whatever you say.”

“You heard the man, Melnitz.” Peter tried to sound mirthful, and failed. “Maybe get those invoices filed.”

“Sure Dr. Venkman.” Her voice was soft and brittle.

Good enough. Peter headed up the stairs to get into uniform, Ray trailing him.

Winston put a hand on the slender woman’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay, Janine.”

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who chased him away."

"You didn't know. It was a natural reaction."

"It's my fault." Janine jerked from his grasp.

"It’s no ones fault! We all made mistakes over the last few days." Winston’s voice rose. "If Egon had gone with you on your date, it never would have happened. If we'd told you, same thing, and on and on. We all need to stop re-hashing the past and concentrate on getting Egon home safe. That's the only thing that matters now."

Janine offered no argument. She leaned into the older man, attempting to hold back sobs. 

He wrapped her in a hug. There was nothing else to say.

\-----------------------------  
Ray shifted a pile of paper from Egon's desk. Peter was getting ready in the communal bedroom. Something crashed to the ground, and Peter uttered a soft curse.  
Ray picked a few scraps of notebook paper off the nearby table. "He's usually so neat.”

The seedling on the table wobbled as he pulled the last piece of paper free. A green droplet oozed to the tabletop.

Ray peered at it. He was no botanist, but he knew a few things about plants. This sap wasn’t from an old plant that happened to look like a sapling. This was fresh, _young > sap._

“Oh no.” 

\------------------------------ 

The TV warbled in the background as Peter finished suiting up. A familiar image caught his eye. 

"Are you troubled by strange noises in the night?" 

"Do you experience feelings of dread-" 

He shut the commercial off, smashing his palm on the button. 

"Peter!" Ray yelled from the lab. “Get in here, quick!” 

"What is it?" Peter hurried in. 

“The seedling Egon tested the ectoplasm on!” Ray waved the plant in his face. 

Peter’s heart quickened. “It’s not sick or something, is it?” 

Ray looked pained. “No. From the looks of the sap, it’s totally healthy; for a _seedling_.” 

Peter stared, blank. 

Ray set the plant down. “The sap in this plant is fresh. It’s not an old plant that looks like a young plant. This is a young plant, all the way down to the core. Do you understand what I’m saying?” 

“Yeah, I get it Ray. What does this mean for Egon?” Peter saw where his friend was going, but hoped he was wrong. 

"It mean's that Egon really is regressing all the way back into a child." Ray paled. “His brain chemistry, his organs, _everything_.” 

Peter’s heart turned to ice. “Does that mean he can’t turn back into an adult?” 

“I don’t know.” Ray swallowed. “He could lose his mental facilities. He could lose his _memories_ , Peter.” 

Chills went down hIs spine. “How long do we have?” 

“I don’t know. The plant’s a much simpler organism, it’ll take longer for it to get that bad with Egon. But we won’t have much time, Peter. I’ve got to get working on this antidote now.” 

"And in the meantime Egon is still with those guys, and he's just going to get more and more scared as his mind shuts down." Peter forced the words out. He hadn’t told them about Egon’s breakdown mid-sentence. “He sounded wrong on the phone, Ray. It’s already started.” 

Ray’s features hardened. “Then I’ve got to get to work.” 

He reached out and grabbed Peter in a fierce hug. Peter hugged back. “Go get him, Peter.” 

Peter nodded, not trusting himself to speak. 

\------------ 

To be continued... 


	10. Chapter 10

Peter watched the dark parking lot, hands clenched around the Ectomobile’s steering wheel. It was almost midnight. They’d said to be here at midnight. They had to be here already. Watching. Waiting. Making sure he hadn’t snuck in backup or called the cops.

Egon was somewhere out there. Alone. Terrified. Trapped in a body that had betrayed him. He’d heard it; in that one sentence was everything wrong with his best friend. 

Spengs losing himself. 

Another minute ticked by with no sign of the kidnappers. All he could do was wait.

\--

Egon watched Peter from the darkness of the passenger seat. He carried something large (too dark and too far away to make out from here). The smaller of the two men that’d snatched him was there, waiting to receive the spoils. 

What was Peter giving him? Not money, certainly. A trap? A PKE meter? Perhaps. Impossible to tell from here. His perceptions about size were skewed. As a child his eyes had been better, but still needed glasses. These were too strong, but better than nothing.

“Okay kid. Time to go.” The large hand clasped the back of his neck. Egon stifled a cry; bruises were forming all over his neck, shoulders, and face. 

‘It’s fine. I’ll be back with Peter and the guys soon.’

And Janine.

The car engine revved. Egon bit back a fresh scream. The door opened and he was tumbling into the cool night air. Peter cried out from across the space.

He thumped onto the grass. It was soft enough; he’d escape a new bruise. His spectacles skittered into the darkness.

“Egon!”

Peter, blurred and bellowing, closed the distance between them. Egon had time to draw breath before he was swept into a bone-crushing hug. He threw his arms around Peter’s neck. Words stuck in his throat.

“Are you okay?” Peter asked, hoarse. “Did they hurt you?”

“Just bruises.” Egon let go and tried to force a smile. His expression wobbled. “Nothing permanent.”

Peter’s eyes blazed. “We’ll track them down, Egon. I swear. I’m so sorry--”

Egon shook his head. “Can we just go home?”

Peter’s rage melted, but the fear remained. “Yeah. We’ve gotta get back, quick.”

“Why?”

“Well, first of all, everyone’s worried sick about you.” Peter spotted his fallen spectacles and gave them back. 

Egon put them on. The world swam back into focus, wrong angles and all. “And?”

“And we’ve gotta get you back to normal.” Peter picked him up and started towards the Ectomobile.

"I am an adult. I don't need to be carried." His body trembled under him, belying his words. He was weak from fear and hunger.

“I know you are.” Peter said. “But I’m not letting you go anytime soon, Spengs.”

Egon laid his head on Peter’s chest. “Fair enough.”

-

“Egon!” Ray snatched him out of the car, tears pouring down his face. “I’m so sorry! I should have...I should have…”

“It’s alright Ray.” Egon returned his hug. 

“M’man, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.” Winston was next in line. He placed a gentle hand on Egon’s shoulder. 

Egon flinched.

Winston took his hand away, slow. He’d seen flinches like that among his fellow vets. Anger smouldered deep in his eyes. “We’re gonna get them, Egon.”

Egon nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

“Egon?”

Janine sounded unlike herself; small and confused. He lifted his eyes. She stood there, arms wrapped around herself. Her face was pale. Her hair was a mess. Her eyes were red and puffy.

She was beautiful.

Egon threw himself into her arms. She clutched him, sobbing. A few syllables eventually got out. “Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry…”

He repeated this mantra, his voice and body trembling in concert.

When the two of them broke apart, Peter spoke up. “Egon. We’ve gotta get to work on the antidote.”

Egon wiped his eyes. “I agree.”

“I did a little work while--um--I did some work.” Ray fumbled over his words and snatched a few papers off the table. “Here. Look at this; I think it might work.”

Egon took the papers, relief flooding through him. It was almost over. 

A meaningless tangle of lines decorated the page.

Egon scanned the paper, searching for meaning and finding none. “Ray?”

“I know the formula’s a bit longer than your first--”

 

“Ray, I can’t read this.” His voice shook. 

“Is his handwriting that bad?” Peter took the pages, frowning. “I can make some of this out. Looks like some of the college stuck after all.”

Egon snatched them back, shuffling through them, fast, fast, faster. Nothing. No meaning could be gleaned from the pages. Here and there a single letter or digit stood out. No more.

He couldn’t read it.

He dropped the pages, fingers numb. “No, no, no…”

“Spengs, talk to me.” Peter reached out to him. 

Egon shrank from the touch. The blank incomprehension was on all their faces. They didn’t understand. 

He couldn’t read the formulas. The mutation, transformation, whatever he chose to call it, had reached his brain.

“NO!” Egon turned from them, running to the stairs. He couldn’t face them, this, none of it. It couldn’t be true. He was still _him_ , Dr. Egon Spengler, not a child, not a child!

“You think you can outrun _this_?” The last syllable hissed as he reached the landing at the top of the stairs. 

Egon froze. “N-no…”

Hooves clopped on the wooden floor. It couldn’t be, this was too much, much too much--

A white hand clamped onto his bruised shoulder. The Boogyman’s hot fetid breath hissed in his ear.

“I missed you, boy.”

\-----------------------------------

Egon jerked, eyes flying open. The scream died in his throat, trapped there by the strip of duct-tape across his mouth.

Next to him, the larger of the kidnappers loomed. “Just about time to go home, kid. _If_ your dad brought the goods.”

Egon slumped in his seat. Salt was crusted on his lashes from crying in his sleep.

\-----------------------------------  
To be continued...  
\-----------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was hard to write. First, I had to dump the truly awful premise that I'd written in the predecessor to this (t's at The Pit, for the masochists among my readers). Then, I had to get to the heart of what _really_ scares Egon. 
> 
> It was a dark place.


	11. Chapter 11

"Spengs..." Peter watched as a huge, dark figure huddled over a smaller one about fifty feet away. In front of him was a smaller man, hat pulled low, features obscured by the darkness.

“I’ll need to know how it works before we do this.” His voice was gruff. A put on if Peter ever heard one. 

“Simple. You aim, pull the nozzle, and boom. Particle stream that’ll nab ghosts.” Peter said. “Just don’t look right at it.”

‘Or look at it until your eyeballs melt.’ Peter held his tongue. Egon was so close. He couldn’t screw up now.

“Demonstrate.” The man beckoned his conspirator forward. Egon came into focus, eyes huge and terrified. Tape covered his mouth. Another strip held his wrists.

Peter swallowed. “Demonstrate on what?”

The small man reached into his coat, withdrew a gun outfitted with a silencer, and shot his companion between the eyes.

Peter screamed, drowning Egon’s muffled shriek. The man toppled to the grass, blood flying into the air. Egon fell backwards, away from the body. Droplets spattered the side of his face.

The small man was unperturbed. “Boss has wanted that done for a long time. So, when he becomes a ghost, you use that proton pack to--”

Peter tackled the man to the ground. Red lit his vision. He swung, fist crunching into the kidnapper’s nose. The man’s head THUNKED onto the soft earth, dazed.

“You--you--” Words stuck in Peter’s throat. This man had taken Egon. He’d hurt Egon. He’d killed a man in front of Egon. 

Egon watched him, eyes swimming with tears. Blood freckled his pale face.

Then the man lifted the gun.

A large rock, almost too large for him to shift, lay near his feet. Egon snatched it, lept up, and brought it down on the kidnappers---the murderer's---head.

There was a loud CRACK! The man’s hand dropped to the earth, and he went still. The gun skittered from his fingertips.

Peter lifted his face to Egon. He was trembling, rock still clenched in his hands. Tears rolled down his face, smearing the blood.

“Are you okay?” Peter’s voice was hoarse.

Egon nodded, dropping the rock. The kidnapper moaned as it rolled to a stop near his head.

Blue and red lights flashed, not far in the distance. The gunfire had drawn the police. They’d find the two men, one dead, one wounded from the struggle. They didn’t need to find Dr. Peter Venkman, or his unexplainable child companion.

Peter got off the man, shaking from the adrenaline rush. No time for chemical reactions now.

Egon watched him, silent. Peter knelt in front of him and detached the tape as gently as he could.

“Egon…” Words failed him. “We’ve gotta get to the Ectomobile before the cops get here.”

Egon nodded. Peter picked him up and dashed for the car, eyes stinging. He couldn’t cry in front of Egon. The last thing his friend needed was to see Peter break down. 

Peter placed him on the passenger seat and eased out of the parking lot. “Are you hurt?”

“Minor abrasions and bruises.”

The assessment was missing the phlegmatic tones Peter knew so well. He pulled into a deserted side street, parked the Ecto-1, and swept Egon into a hug.

Egon lost what little composure he’d had and broke into sobs. “I--t-t-thought he was going to sh-shoot you!”

“I know. He might have. But you stopped him, Spengs. You saved my life.” Peter bit down on a bitter laugh. “Who supposed to save who around here?”

Egon clung desperately to him. “They thought I was Oscar Barrett.”

Peter flinched. The kid would be about this age. At least they hadn’t deduced his real identity. “I’m gonna sit you down for a long talk later, Spengs. A few times a week for a while, in fact. But right now we’re gotta get home. Ray’s getting something worked up.”

“A cure?” A note of hope broke through the tears.

“We think so. But he needs you to look at it before we know for sure.” Peter swallowed. Before Egon’s mind was so degraded that he couldn’t tell the correct formula from Hi-C.

Egon’s breathing returned to normal, aside from a few hiccups. “Then let’s go.”

Peter broke the hug and got the Ectomobile moving again. There was no telling what long-term damage would remain with Egon after tonight, but staying a child wasn’t going to help. If it meant getting Spengs back to normal, Peter could hide his own damage as long as he needed. 

He was good at it by now.

\----------------------

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait between updates. Originally this chapter was very different, but it felt all wrong and I couldn't figure out how to progress when it was 'finished'. It took me a loooooong time to figure out what the problem was (I might go more into that when it's all finished). But I fixed the issue and we're back on track. 
> 
> As for the violence...the original never rang true for me. Way too easy and clean. So, more delving into the dark. I don't love it, but that's what needed to be put down. I'd much rather Egon could have been rescue neat and clean, like before. But it's not right. It's not good story. 
> 
> I really don't like seeing him suffer so much.


	12. Chapter 12

The familiar siren wailed just outside the firehouse. Ray hurried down from the lab. “They’re back!”

Janine stood at her desk. “Do you think…”

"Pete would have called if something was wrong." Winston said. He’d been hovering near the door since Peter left, hours ago it seemed.

Janine nodded and joined him.

Peter pulled in. Sitting next to him, whole and unharmed, was Egon.

“Thank God.” Winston sagged in relief. Janine made a strangled sound.

“Egon!” Ray went to the passenger side, but was too late. Peter emerged from the vehicle, Egon clinging to him. Faint pink streaks dotted one side of his face.

Ray rounded the nose of the Ectomobile and hugged the smaller Ghostbuster. Peter made a noise as the boy was crushed against him. “Easy Ray. He’s fragile goods.”

"Are you alright?” Ray broke the hug. “I tried to follow the man who took you, but--”

“I know. You did everything you could.” Egon didn’t let go of Peter. “I’m...unhurt.”

WInston shivered at the pause. He wouldn’t press, not now. Peter would fill them in, let them know what they could do to help. For now, the would just have to be careful.

Egon turned his head, facing Janine. “I’m sorry.”

The secretary rocked back. “Egon--”

“You were right, of course. If I’d just remembered our anniversary and acted accordingly, this whole business could have been avoided.” Egon’s voice jumped and stuttered, belying his calm words. “I’m sorry I forgot. I’m sorry I tried to hide this from you. And, most importantly, I’m sorry I ever acted like a few tests were worth more to me than..than....”

The last bit was lost as Egon dissolved into tears. 

“Egon--” “Spengs, please don’t--” “Man, it’s--” Three voices rang out. 

Egon’s weight was lifted from Peter’s shoulders. Janine held him, silent tears coursing down her face. “Can you three give us a few minutes?”

Her tone wasn’t up to it’s usual sass. “Sure thing Melnitz. Just bring the boy-wonder to the lab when you’re done Mrs. Robinson-ing.”

Janine narrowed her eyes, tears drying. “That better not be a crack out my age, Dr. V.”

Peter raised his hands. “Not today, Janine.”

It was good enough. Janine whisked her pedamorphed paramour into a side room, for whatever privacy they needed.

“Is he really okay?” Ray pressed. “That looked like blood on his face!”

“It’s not his. Or mine.” Peter added as Ray’s eyes widened. “The mooks that took him wanted the proton pack to actually catch ghosts. Mook one took out mook two so I could give him a live demo.”

“Oh my God.” Ray covered his mouth, looking sick.

“And that’s when the fight started.” Winston intoned in a fair parody of Egon’s voice. 

Peter nodded. “Yeah. Egon knocked the guy out with a rock when he tried to pull a gun on me. So in answer to your question Ray, no. He’s not okay. But nothing’s wrong physically.”

“And you, Pete?” 

Peter flashed him a gin. “Hey, don’t worry about Dr. Venkman. If I couldn’t take the occasional murder attempt I never would have moved to this city.”

Winston didn’t smile. “Yeah. We’ll talk more about that a little later, m’man. I’ve seen a few things in ‘Nam that could make a native New Yorker flinch.”

The grin dropped off Peter’s face. He never could fool Winston. Or Ray, or Egon. They would have beaten around a bit first, though. “Um. Yeah. Later. Let’s just fix Egon first.”

"We need Egon to look at the antidote formula I came up with soon." Ray said as they started upstairs. "I know he needs time to recover, but we just don't have it."

Peter nodded. “He’s not himself. All the memories are still there, but his personality is getting filtered through a child’s brain. I’ve seen Spengs cry more in the last two days than the last two years.”

“I can tell. Even after...all that, he wouldn’t have wanted to be carried around and hugged. If he was grown-up. Now…” Ray gestured, words failing.

Winston nodded. “Yeah. He’s got the know-how and the vocabulary, but that could go next. I just wish we could let him get a good night’s sleep before making him do labwork. He’s gotta be exhausted.”

They reached the lab. Scraps of paper were tacked onto a board, things bubbled in beakers, and a complex device whirred in the corner. 

“I’ve got the base for the antidote started. If Egon needs to make changes, we can do that before adding the final anti-mutagens.” Ray handed a piece of paper to Peter.

Peter pushed it away. “I’d bet Egon’s life on your formulas, not mine, Ray.”

Ray beamed. “Thanks.”

Two sets of footsteps approached the top of the stairs. Janine walked a pace behind Egon, letting the smaller Ghostbuster make his own way up the stairs. The last trace of blood had been cleared from his face.

“I’ve got a formula for you to see.” Ray knelt down, so he could look Egon in the face. “I think this should work, but I...well, it’s your experiment.”

Egon took the paper, trying to hide the shake in his hands. His nightmare was fresh on the surface. They knew what he did; his brain was regressing along with the rest of him. It might already be too late.

Clear formulas and ratons sparkled on the page. Everything was right and made sense.

Egon took a deep breath, closing his eyes to trap the sudden tears. “It’s perfect, Raymond.”

“Really? Great! I’ve got the base already, it’ll just take a few hours for everything to set properly.” Ray dashed to a set of beakers and began work. 

“Fine. And while Ray gets that done, I’ll make up a batch of Mama Venkman’s finest canned chicken soup. That stuff’s supposed to be great for the soul.” Peter grinned. “Janine, Winston, care to join me?”

“Only if I can watch you cook. I’ve never seen that before.” Janine countered, smirking.

“You wound me, Melnitz. That soup’s coming out of your paycheck.”

“You’d need to give me a raise to afford soup.”

Winston shook his head and crouched next to Egon. “Want to get downstairs before the two of them start swinging?”

“That would be wise.” Egon nodded, letting the older man lead.

\---------  
To be continued...  
\---------


	13. Chapter 13

Ray peppered the air with chatter, saving Egon the trouble. Even if he’d been inclined to talk about his captivity, he was on the cusp of passing out.

Peter noticed the blond drooping. “The antidote won’t be ready for a few hours. I’m going to draw you a bath, then you can catch a power nap.”

Egon shook his head. “I should stay awake. Keeping my brain active may well be the key to arresting further developmental issues.” 

“Yeah, you sound like a kid alright.” Peter ran a hand through his hair. “Just the bath, then. Deal?”

“Deal.” Egon nodded. He finished the last lukewarm spoonful of soup and followed Peter upstairs, stumbling. Wordlessly, Peter scooped him up and carried him. 

Ray bit his lip and hurried into the lab.

Winston and Janine watched the others scatter. “I’ll get to work on these dishes. I don’t suppose you’d consider clocking out for the night Janine?”

“Wild full torso apparitions couldn’t drag me away.” Janine said. I’ll help you clean up.”

“Fine by me.”

\----

Egon lay in his bed, hair damp from the tub. He'd only gotten in long enough to wash the dirt and...other substances away. He hadn't even removed his oversized glasses. 

Peter watched Egon struggle to keep his eyes open. "You need sleep, Spengs.”

Egon shook his head. "I'll be fine a while longer."

"You nearly passed out on the way home." Peter insisted. "You need to sleep."

"No."

“You’re not going to lose your brainpower in the next hour, awake or asleep.” Peter sat on the edge of his bed. 

“I don’t _want_ to sleep.” Egon’s voice rose in an unmistakable whine.

“I’ll stay right here. If it looks like you’re having a nightmare, I’ll wake you up.”

Egon sat up. “Am I so transparent?”

“Egon, you are as transparent as brick.” Peter sighed. “But I know you.”

He laid down. “You will wake me up the moment the antidote is ready. If I wake up and the sun is out I will be very annoyed, Peter.”

“Got it.” Peter sat on his own bed, hands laced behind his head.

Egon’s breathing became slow and regular. Peter watched, but there were no signs of distress. Even half an hour of sleep would do Egon more good than harm. 

Ray padded up the steps. “How’s he--”

“Shh!” Peter shushed. “I just got him down for a nap.”

Ray winced. “Um. Okay. The antidote will be ready in an hour.”

“Wonderful.” Peter sighed. “Any chance he won’t remember any of this when he’s back to normal?”

“Probably. He’s not a baby or anything.” Ray joined him on the bed. “What can we do?”

“Be there for him. Prod him, gently, into talking about it.” Peter shook his head. “I’ll do some sessions with him. We’ll get back to normal.”

Ray watched the boy sleep. “As normal as we ever were.”

“I’ll take it, Tex.”

\---

Dark corridors. Dark doorways. Dark windows looking onto an alien landscape. 

There was no escape. Only continuing darkness.

Egon put his face into his hands. Was he awake? Asleep? Boy? Man? It didn’t matter. Everything was wrong. There was no way to put it right. He’d been the agent of his own misfortune since this had begun. Peter couldn’t help him. Neither could Ray or Winston. This was his own mess, and he was paying for it.

Heavy breathing echoed down the hall. Egon shuddered. Why was it always like this? Always leading himself down some dark path, always alone when the monsters came?

It wasn’t like this in the daylight. Not when the others were around. Only when he was left to his own devices did things end in the dark.

“Egon.”

Egon started. That wasn’t the Boogieman’s rasp. “Janine?”

She stood at the end of the hallway, one eyebrow raised. “What’er you doing down here?”

“I…” He searched for the words. “It’s a place I find myself in occasionally.”

“A place you bring yourself to.” She crossed her arms, smirking. “You get lost in the big brain of yours.”

He walked to her, glad to find she didn’t tower over him. “I suppose.”

She uncrossed her arms. “For a genius, you can be so dumb. The next time you get into here, just ask me for help. It’s a lot easier than wandering around until I find you.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Is this some sort of half-coded message from my subconscious, or has all the trauma I’ve endured unlocked some latent psychic ability?”

“You want to hang around here figuring that out, or you wanna go somewhere a little nicer?” She put her hands on her hips. 

Egon blinked. If this was a mental projection of Janine, it was a damn good one. “Uh, the second option. I would prefer that.”

“So let's go.” She smiled and held out her hand. 

He took it.

\---

Winston gently shook Janine. “Hey, Janine?”

“Mm?” She raised her head. Her cheek was imprinted with lines from the couch’s fabric. “Winston, I told you not to let me sleep!”

“I never let you do anything. You are your own woman.” Winston grinned. “Ray’s about to give Egon the antidote. Thought you’d want to see.”

Janine stretched, the last dregs of her dream fading. What was it? Something about light. Not important now. 

“You betcha. Lead on.”

\---

Egon watched Ray draw the antidote into a large syringe. It was curious how the needle seemed so much larger when someone else handled it. “Ready Egon?”

“Of course.” The tremor under his voice rang out.

Peter patted his shoulder. "S'ok Egon. I'll give you a lollipop if you don't struggle."

Egon's eyes narrowed. "You know, I seem to remember a certain psychologist who had a pronounced case of squeamishness in college. Someone who vomited during their first few rounds of medical training."

"Yeah, at least I didn’t work out my anxiety with all night Twinkie and Yoohoo binges.” Peter grinned. 

Egon's cheeks flushed. A slight pressure drew his attention back to Ray.

The occultist withdrew the needle. "There."

Peter smirked at the boy. "I still got it."

Egon gave a sigh of exasperation. "I suppose I should have seen that coming."

“How long until it starts working?” Janine asked.

“Well, it took about eight hours for the original mutation. Logically, it’ll take at least that long for my body to return to normal.” Egon rubbed the injection site.

“So, after a good night’s sleep.” Winston grinned.

“I suppose.” Egon cleared his throat, and locked his eyes on the floor. “Um, assuming I’m back to normal tomorrow evening, and we’re not beset with a major paranormal energy spike, I’d like to take the evening off with Janine.”

“And if there is a major paranormal energy spike, you three can handle it.” Janine locked her gaze on Peter. “Right Dr. Venkman?”

“Right.” Peter grinned. “C’mon Egon, let’s get you to bed; wouldn’t want you to be too tired for your date tomorrow.”

Egon’s cheeks flamed. “I am not going to miss the amount of interference in my personal life when I’m back to my correct age.”

“Like Peter’s not gonna interfere.” Winston injected. Ray held in laughter as Egon scowled and stomped back to the bedroom.

“He’s really going to be okay?” Janine asked.

“Yeah, Melnitz. Spengs is gonna be fine.” A smile crept across Peter’s face. 

“And you, Dr. V?”

Ray and Winston watched him as Egon’s footsteps faded into the bedroom. 

The next few days, weeks, maybe even months wouldn’t be perfect. There would be nightmares. Arguments. Dangerous busts and forgotten appointments. But they’d all be there to face them, a little wiser and more wary than before.

They would all be together.

“Yeah, Janine. Me too.”

 

\--------------------  
The End  
\--------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this better than it's original incarnation? Yeah, I think so. Is it perfect? No, but I still don't have the skills to make it so.
> 
> Did you enjoy it? I did. If you did, I succeeded. Thanks for sticking with me.


End file.
